The diamond drill., 1887-07-02
DEAD DESPERADOES.


vcr and j. X. cooper or the Famous ouua"
band that has ruled Rowan county, KY,
by terror for three months past, was shot
down on the 22nd inst In the streets OF
Aorehead, the county seat. John Rogers
and several otheRs of the gang were
wounded. Sheriff Hogg, under authority
of Gov. Knott secretly gathered posse OF
leo men from Rowan and surrounding
counties to arrest Tolliyer and his men for
the murder OF the Logans. On the ap-
proach OF the posse Tolliver and ten others
took refuge in the Cottage hotel, which
was strongly barricaded. Passengers from
Morehead say that the posse stopped the
trains near there, and then, surrounding
the village, commanded the women, child
rem and citizens 20 come out Entering
the town with 100 men the sheriff sur
rounded the Cottage hotel and ordered
Tolliver 20 surrender, Tolliver's reply
was that neither he nor his men would be
arrested and 100 men could not take
them. His party then opened fire upon
the sheriff's posse. Quite a brisk racket
vi hurkttl cnrdtbs nAd hho hkhNA WIS
kept mp probably for two hours. The
only casualty for time was n flesh wound
received by one of the sherih's posse The
attacking party, however, were gradually
drawing their lines closer around Tolii-
ver's fortiGcation, and the besieged party,
finding things growing too warm, finally
concluded 90 make bold rush for liberty
cut their way through the sheriff's lines
and take 60 tho adjacent brush, which,
once reached, would afford them a secure
escape, but as they made the rush they
we're met by u tremendous volley, which
killed Craig Tolliver, Bud Toiliver, jay
Tolliver, and Cooper. They were all shot
through the heart and died instantly.
Craig Tolliyer seems TO have been a
general target, as be was so thoroughly
ridded rs TO be scarcely recognizable.
The other men of the gang got through
safely, but as they approached the brush
they were met by a volley from the out
side cordon-a line OF men stationed ten
or twelve feet apart around the town. This
volley wounded Cate Tolliver, l2-year.
old boy, and three others, all of whom
were captured.
Craig Tolliver was standing on the rail-
road track iring when he fell. He had
been wounded several timeo before. When
he stepped on the track facing the enemy
he received a volley, several balls striking
him in the abdomen and chest. He fired
his revolver as he fell, raised himself fred
again, received a shot in the temple, fol-
lowed by another in the head and fell
back dead, his head resting on n rail of
the track and his hands crossed upon his
breast Cate Tolliver, his ltyear-old
nephew was with him when he fell and
continued firing upon the squad OF the
posse who killed his uncle. He attracted
little attention, and received only slight
flesh wound. He took his uncle's watch,
and tried to escape. but was caught and is
held by the sheriff.
The feud out OF which the tragedy grew
began at the August election in 1884, when
Cook Humphrey, republican candidate
for sheriff, defeated Sam Gooden, demo
crat, by a majority of II. A saloon fight
occurred in which John Martin was badly
hurt He claimed that Lloyd Tolliver and
John Day beat him with clubs. Shooting
followed, in which Solomon Bradley.
bystander, was killed, Tolliver said by Mar
tin.
As result of this fight John Martin,
Ben, his father, Will and Dave,his brothers,
and Cook Humphrey, who had lived with
the Martins when boy and gone to school
at Morehead from their farm, we're
ranged on one side in feud, ana Marion,
Craig. and Floyd Tolliver, brothers, and
Bud, Jay, and Wiley Tolliver, cousins, liv-
ing in Elliott county, on the other side.
In December John Martin met Floyd Tol-
liver in a saloon at Morehead and killed
him. To escape lynching Martin was
taken 10 Winchester jail. Six days later
a forged order was presented to the jsiier
and Martin, In irons, put on tho train 60
return 10 Morehead for trial. AZ Farm
ers, an intervening station, masked mob
boarded the train and riddled Martin with
bullets. Martins wife was on the train,
not knowing him to be there. and heard Of
his murder only when the train reached
Morehead, where he was dying when she
saw him. An effort was made by Sheriff
Humphrey 20 ferret out the murderers
and Stewart Bumgardner, his deputy was
one night shot 20 pieces from the bushes.
The feud grew 10 involve 100 on each
side. Early in 1885 Il. T., Young, county
attorney, was shot from the busl.es and
badly wounded. He claimed TO belong
TO neither fraction, but was hated
10y the Martins, and, IL was believed. was